The Good Die Young
by Lily Hanson
Summary: They say only the good die young, but that's no consolation for the friends and family left behind. Final story to the Kaylee Series.
1. The Dreaded Day

_Author's Note: I do not own anything recognisable from the TV Series. The OCs however, belong to me._

* * *

It was August 13th, 2037; a beautiful day just like every other in the new world. The sun, the natural sun, was shining down brightly on the citizens of Earth's newest City: Kaie's Haven. It's Commander, Hayden McAllister, had named it, not after her daughter, but after humanity. Kaie meant fighter, and it fit well with the creation of this city. Had it not been for all the people who fought long and hard, and put themselves on the line, this new city would never have been.

Now, at twenty-seven years old, Hayden was finally living the life she should have been living since the fall of the Venjix. She had a stable career as Commander of Kaie's Haven and a loving family who supported her in everything that she did. She had been sad, initially, when she moved away from her parents and her sister and brother, but it was the freedom and the added responsibilities that changed her into the person she was now.

Samantha and Scott were still living in Corinth, as they should have been. Scott was still Commander and enjoyed every minute of his job. He was a great Commander too. Hayden could see that the position and knowledge came to him naturally. The citizens of Corinth, now officially known as Corinthians, adored their Commander because he took such good care of them and their city.

When Scott wasn't at work, he was at home with his family. In 2030 Samantha had given birth to a beautiful baby boy. He was immediately welcomed into the family with open arms by all his relatives. Samantha and Scott had been worried about Engel accepting her half brother into her life, but the moment she first laid eyes on little Benson Truman, she claimed him as her own. For a while, she would cry every time she went to spend a weekend with her father, because she missed her little brother. Fortunately, a year and a half later, Vanessa gave birth to hers and Mike's daughter: Angela. Now, Engel had a little sibling to play with in either home.

Mike finally finished college and for two years worked with Dawn, helping her around her center before he started one of his own. He wanted to help restoring the world, but after everything he had been through with the Mutants and the Underwater, Mike thought he would be more helpful if he focused on rehabilitating those who were lost in the Wastelands. After all, Dawn's Center was initially built to help the survivors in Corinth and NewTech, and with her short-term memory loss still having some effects on her job, Mike didn't want her to take on more than he could handle. He opened up his own center on the other side of town, and whenever Scott, Gem or Gemma found survivors, they would let him know.

Back in Kaie's Haven, Flynn and Dani's new Garage was really going. Flynn had been right about business being easier in a city where the main attraction was a racetrack. Before and after every race, Dani would bring her car in for an inspection, and once word was out that Champion Dani Hartford trusted Flynn with her car, other racers and everyday people started trusting Flynn. In other words, business was booming for Flynn. At first, he had been a little overwhelmed, but when Hannah moved away from home, she moved to Kaie's Haven, and Flynn immediately offered her a job. The second pair of hands made all the differences, especially seeing as Hannah put in more work than Dani ever did on a regular basis.

Over in NewTech, Summer and Dillon lived happily as normal citizens, or rather, NewTechnicians. Like Samantha, Summer had given birth to a healthy baby boy, which she and Dillon both named Timothy. For a while they were happy as a family of three, but Summer was once again pregnant, this time with a baby girl. She was over the moon about it. She loved her son dearly, but she had always pictured herself raising a little girl.

Life wasn't normal for the McKnight's all the time, though. With Summer's sister Samantha as Commander, the two former RPM Rangers sometimes found themselves back in the line of duty.

Hayden loved her new life. There was nothing wrong with the one she had in Corinth, but in this city, her city, she was the person she had always dreamed she would be. She was following in her mother's footsteps, she had a loving husband and a beautiful daughter, and only four years ago she welcomed a son, Jeffery, into her family.

Things had been running so smoothly, and so normally, that Hayden felt nothing when her cell phone went off. There was no sense of dread, no fear and no panic. Instinctively, she pulled it from her pocket and smiled as she answered, perky as ever.

"Hi dad!"

She heard a sob on the other end. Now the feeling of dread started to kick in.

"Dad, are you okay?" she asked her father on the other end. There was a brief pause before the line went dead. Hayden pulled the phone away from the side of her face and stared at the screen. Worried something had happened; she dialled her parent's home number and waited for someone to pick up. The phone rang several times before stopping. Hayden could only assume her father was ignoring her call.

Her fingers shook with the rest of her body as she dialled her brother's cell phone number. Christian, now twelve years old, had recently gotten his very first cell phone and never went anywhere without it. If he missed or ignored Hayden's call, she would really start to panic.

The phone rang, just like the last time. And, just like the last time, no one picked up. Hayden tried again, hoping her brother had just been on the toilet or in the shower. Just in case this was no mistake, though, she reached across her desk, her boss desk as she called it, and grabbed her office phone. The office phone was only to be used by the Commander to call people around town, or in the Commander center, for business purposes only. The sole exception to the rule was personal emergencies. Fearing the worst had happened, Hayden was certain her colleagues would classify this as a personal emergency.

Christian still wasn't answering his phone, but on the office line, Sammy picked up almost right away.

"_You never call me,"_ she started with a laugh. Hayden pushed her cell phone away and quickly grabbed hold of her office phone. She clenched it tightly.

"Dad just tried to call me," she told her sister.

"_You're rubbing it in, aren't you?"_ Samantha said; the laugh still evident in her voice. Whatever dread and panic Hayden was going through didn't seem to affect Samantha in anyways. She was completely blind to the urgency in her little sister's voice.

"He didn't say anything. I thought I heard him cry before the line went dead. I tried calling him back, but I think he's ignoring me. Christian's not answering his cell phone either."

There was a silence on the other end. Hayden knew her words were finally reaching Samantha. The older sister spoke.

"_Have you called Aunt Tori?"_

Hayden shook her head. Her sister wouldn't see it, so she added, "No."

"_Alright,"_ Samantha took a deep breath, "_Okay… okay… um, you try Aunt Tori, okay, Hay? I'll try Christian's cell phone. Call me in five minutes and let me know if you reach Aunt Tor."_

Hayden nodded, "Okay," just before she was about to hang up, she asked her sister, "You don't think…"

"_She had ten years,"_ Samantha interrupted, before Hayden could say what was already on her mind, _"it's only been seven."_

Hayden said goodbye to her sister, though it wouldn't be long before they spoke again. She quickly did as Samantha instructed and phoned her Aunt. Unfortunately, not even Tori would pick up. Frustrated, Hayden tossed her phone across her office. The sound of the phone hitting the door alerted the men and women working just outside. Col. Jeremy Strong, Hayden's most trusted man, walked to the door after hearing the bang. He knocked before entering.

"Is everything okay?" he asked his Commander. Hayden shook her head and started collecting her things from the desk. Strong noticed her eyes were red with tears. The former Ranger shook her head.

"Can you please call my sister?" Hayden requested. "Something's come up back home."

"What is it?" Strong asked, "If I may…"

"I don't know," Hayden placed her things in her bag, not bothering with placing them properly so they wouldn't damage or wrinkle. Strong could tell that whatever was bothering her was really hitting her hard. She was always careful with her work documents and he had never seen her crying before.

"I'll call your sister," he nodded politely. "What should I tell her?"

"To go home," Hayden said.

-Kaylee-

Hayden and Samantha met up at their parent's place, but upon ringing the doorbell they discovered no one was home. Before bothering to find their spare keys to let themselves in, they opened the garage to see if Dustin's car was still in home. When they discovered it wasn't, they could only fear the worse.

Hayden sat on the doorstep, playing mindlessly with her cell phone while Samantha paced back and forth. Both girls were trying to wonder what to do next and where to go.

Suddenly, they noticed a red car pulling up in the driveway. They both stared as the driver got out of the car. He looked over at the girls and waved for them to approach him.

"Uncle Shane?" Hayden whispered, just loud enough so he could hear her. Shane walked around the car and opened his arms for a hug. Samantha and Hayden could see he had been crying. He wrapped his arms around both girls and let out a sob, but he still stayed strong for them.

"I don't want to be the bearer of bad news," he said.

Samantha looked at him, "We have our suspicions. Please just… tell us the truth."

"Is it mom?' Hayden asked. Shane lowered his head and nodded gently.

"Your father tried to call, but he couldn't do it," Shane explained. "You guys probably understand how hard this is."

"Where are they?" Samantha asked. Shane motioned to the car.

"I'll take you to the hospital," he said. He opened the back door, assuming the two girls wanted to stick together after just learning of their mother's death. It would be cruel to expect them to be apart, one in the front, one in the back, even if it made no difference in physical difference.

Shane closed the door behind Samantha and walked back around the car to the driver's side. As he slipped in, he looked over his shoulder at his two nieces.

"Blake's calling Scott and Flynn," he told them. "He'll make sure they meet us at the hospital. He's offered to drive all the way up to Kaie's Haven if Flynn can't make the trip."

"Where's Aunt Tori?" Hayden asked.

"She's waiting for you at the hospital. She has all the details."

"And Chris?" Samantha added.

"He's with your dad and… mom."

"He's with mom?" Samantha asked worried. If their mother was dead, she wasn't sure Christian was old enough to sit with her dead body.

"Your father and brother were with her while she died," Shane explained. "No one can talk them into leaving the room."

"For good reason," Hayden muttered. Samantha reached across the seat and took her sister's hand.

Shane nodded and wiped the tears from his eyes as he pulled out from the driveway. The hospital was only a few minutes away, but this was going to be the longest drive of his life.

-Kaylee-

Hayden and Samantha wasted no time when they got to the hospital. They rushed to find their Aunt and get as much information from them as they wanted, but at the same time, they only needed to know one thing.

There was only one reason their mother would be dead today. The poison took over her body faster than expected and she passed away because of it. It didn't really matter what happened in her last few moments. If she knew the death was coming, or if it just happened.

What the two girls wanted to know was if this was all real. The tears and cries around them confirmed that something had happened, but reality still wasn't sinking in for either.

A doctor recognised the girls and offered to take them to Kaylee's room. He hoped that maybe the daughters would be able to get Dustin and Christian out of the room so they could do their job. It had been a couple of hours already and the body could only rest on its own for so long.

The well lit halls seemed dark and gloomy to Hayden and Samantha as they reached their mother's door. The doctor offered his condolences before leaving the girls. Samantha placed her hand on the door handle, but before turning it, she looked to Hayden.

"This is it," she whispered. "When I open the door, there's no denying it."

Hayden nodded, "I know."

"Are you ready?"

"No… but I never will be. Open it."

-Kaylee-

"Life sucks, and then you die," Adeline whispered as she sat in the waiting room beside her father and brother. She quoted that line from her Uncle Christian. He said it many times to her when she felt things were going wrong. At seven years old, Adeline was only facing the smallest of problems, but everything always seemed like the end of the world to a child. Christian, who was only a few years older, knew that very well, but the little bit of experience he had over Adeline allowed him to give out advice, even mediocre advice like that one.

Flynn looked down at his daughter and shook his head. Now was not the time.

"Adeline," was all he said. The little girl, a spitting image of her grandmother, turned to her father and shrugged.

"What? It's true!"

"Show some respect for your grandmother," Flynn told her, "And your mother. This isn't an easy time for her."

Scott pulled out his wallet from his pocket and handed Engel some money, "Take your brother, sister and cousins to the vending machine," he said, "Get yourselves anything you want."

Engel took the change and stuffed it in her pocket before holding her hands out. Angela and Benson knew they would be getting a special treat and jumped up to take her hand. Benson looked to his father before following his sister.

Adeline slowly slid off her seat and followed her older cousin, leaving the parents to talk amongst themselves in peace.

Scott took Adeline's seat, next to Flynn. He placed his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"She doesn't know how to deal with this yet," he said. "She doesn't understand that it's okay to be upset and cry."

"You don't seem to understand it much either," Mike commented from the bench across from Flynn and Scott. The Scotsman shrugged.

"I'm just worried about Hayden. She didn't see this coming."

"No one did," Mike said. "At least, not this early. I thought we still had a few years left. Aunt Kayl and I were going to have lunch together this next weekend. She was already planning Chris' birthday party."

"I thought she had ten years," Scott looked to Mike. The D-Green Ranger had been with his mother when the doctors told her about Kaylee. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Aunt Leah and Uncle David said she had seven to ten years. I guess seven was the lucky number."

"Do you know how it happened?" Flynn asked. "Did she die here at the hospital or…"

"I was told she collapsed at home and Uncle Dustin and Christian brought her here. I don't know if she was already dead at home, or if she died on the way, or in the hospital."

"So she just dropped dead?" Scott frowned. He turned to Flynn for a moment, then back to Mike, "Just like that? She's fine one minute and then bam?"

"You'll have to ask the doctors or my mom," Mike nodded. "That's all I know and that's all I want to know. In the end, Aunt Kaylee's still dead."

"I'm just asking because Kaylee deserved to die peacefully," Scott said. "Knowing Kaylee, she could have been suffering for weeks. She could have kept it hidden."

"Uncle Dustin was watching her like a hawk," Mike said, shaking his head. "He knows her just as well as my mom. He would have known the moment Aunt K started feeling funny."

Over on the other side of the waiting room, Tori sat with Shane. No words were exchanged between the two. Shane simply sat beside his blue Ranger and held her hand in his, gently rubbing it with his thumb while he kept a watchful eye on her.

Tori's gaze was fixed on her son, nephews in-law and the little kids. She watched as they interacted. Mike, Scott and Flynn seemed to be talking about Kaylee, while the kids were all arguing over who got to put what inside the vending machine, and which candy was the best.

Her eyes fell on little Adeline as the young girl reached in and pulled out her chocolate bar. She held onto it tight as the younger kids started jumping for it, almost as if they were going to try and take it from her. Adeline kept them all at bay and stuck her tongue as she opened the candy and took the first bite.

"I have my spit on it, you can take it!" she teased the little kids. Engel rolled her eyes and shook her head before gently swatting Adeline on the back of the head.

"Be nice to them, Addie," she said.

"But they bug me," Adeline pouted. "Jeffery a poo-poo head and smells like feet!"

"Do not!" Jeffery shouted, stomping his feet.

Engel glared at her little cousin, "Adeline…"

Adeline took one look at her cousin before taking a fearful step back. She turned to her little brother and cousins.

"You can have the next one," she told them, defeated. Engel smiled and patted her cousin on the head.

"Good little Addie."

Tori smiled slightly and turned to Shane, "It hurts."

Shane let go of Tori's hand, "Oh, sorry."

Tori shook her head, "Not that. Adeline and Engel."

"They'll really miss Kaylee," Shane nodded. "Ange and Jeff are too young to really care, and I think Benson's just following everyone else's lead."

"Engel knows what's going on," Tori said. "She knows grandma Kaylee is dead. Adeline's just old enough to understand and remember."

"They'll be fine, though," Shane assured his friend. "Life goes on. We all knew this was going to happen someday, right? I think Addie's always known Grandma Kaylee was temporary."

"I meant for me," Tori said. "It's going to be hard for me. Look at her."

Tori pointed to Adeline and Shane knew what she was getting at. He nodded and took her hand again.

"Well, Master Engel left something behind when she died. She's still here with us, maybe Kaylee is."

Tori wiped a tear from her eyes, "I hope so," there was a silence for a moment until Tori turned to Shane, "I want it soon."

"Want what?"

"The funeral," Tori said. "I want it soon. As soon as possible. Nothing fancy, nothing big. I love Kaylee, and she deserves her time and all the respect in the world, but she wouldn't want any of us to be upset over this. She wants us to move on."

"Yeah, I know."

"We have to say goodbye before it gets too hard. The longer we wait, the more we'll all hurt. Kaylee wouldn't want that."

"You tell them that, then," Shane said, motioning to the doors. Tori knew what he meant.

"Dustin's your best friend. With Kaylee gone, it your job to make sure he's okay," she said. "I'll take care of her kids."

"What?"

"It's my sister's kids. Christian and the girls, they're mine now. I'll do whatever I can to help them. I know what's best."

"If you're sure," Shane nodded. "Are you sure you're ready?"

"No… but I never will be," Tori said. "We've just got to do it."


	2. Goodbye to Kaylee

_Author's Note: I don't normally put a disclaimer in the second chapter, but a part of this chapter wasn't written by me. If you'll all notice, there is a part of the chapter encased by two *. Those parts were written by Darien Fawkes, an excellent writer as well as a loyal reviewer to the Kaylee series. This is his way of saying goodbye to Kaylee and the series. He did such a wonderful job that I couldn't pass up the opportunity to put his goodbye into the Kaylee Series. Thank you, Darien, for this little piece._

-Kaylee-

Samantha had the advantage this time around as she stood in her old bedroom, with her sister sitting on her bed. She was still feeling the pain of her mother's death, but she had experienced this before. She knew that at some point, she would move on, and that lingering in depression and anger longer than needed wasn't going to do any good. She held out a black dress for her sister.

"Please Hayden," she whispered. "You know you have to go to the funeral. Mom would want you, of all people, to be there."

"I can't go," Hayden said. She fell back onto the bed and held her hands against her face, hiding the tears. "It's admitting defeat. We've never done that."

Samantha shrugged, "It's not really admitting defeat. It's just… saying goodbye to someone we love."

"I'm not ready for this," Hayden sat up slightly to look at her older sister. She shook her head, "Aunt Tori should know this was a stupid idea. Mom only passed away yesterday."

"It's better to do this now," Samantha explained to her sister. "I promise, it'll make everything easier. Once the funeral is done and all of mom's stuff is figured out, we won't feel like this anymore. We'll move on."

"I don't want to," Hayden said. "Moving on just… doesn't work for me. I want to go back."

Samantha approached the bed and laid the dress beside her sister, "Please, Hayden. You'll regret this forever if you don't go to the funeral. It'll hurt, I know, but… I need you there, Addie, Jeffery… we all need you there."

Hayden groaned and grabbed the dress, "Close your eyes," she told her sister. Samantha let out a small smile as she turned around and shielded her eyes.

-Kaylee-

Over in Kaylee and Dustin's bedroom, and Dustin were trying to get ready for Kaylee's funeral in a different way. They were both dressed and ready to head out the door physically, but they were so torn up and distraught that there was no way they could be seen by anyone, even their closest friends and family members.

Dustin straightened out his tie and sighed loudly. Tori had tied it for him, not Kaylee, and he could feel the difference. Kaylee had a way of tying that didn't leave him feeling like he was wearing a choke collar. He always felt comfortable and very formal when she tied his tie. Tori's way didn't make him feel that way. He could feel it hanging from his neck, and he could feel the fabric pressing against his neck. He tried pulling on it slightly, but nothing was going to fix it. Kaylee wasn't there to help him anymore.

He looked in the mirror and once again brushed himself off, before catching a glance of his and Kaylee' bed. He hadn't slept in it the night before. He couldn't do it with Kaylee gone. Her pillows were still laid out the way she had left them, and the bed, her side of the bed, still wasn't made. In the mirror, Dustin could see Tori approaching the bed. The eldest, and now only, Hanson girl, reached out carefully and touched her little sister's pillow. She brushed her fingers against it ever so gently, as if it would crumble under her touch. Finally, she sat down on the bed and grabbed the pillow in her arms. She pressed it against her chest as she turned to Dustin.

"Do you know how old this pillow is?" she asked him. Dustin turned to face his sister in-law and shrugged. It was an awkward question, but it broke the silence between them.

"How old?"

"Mom and dad bought it for Kaylee when she was three," Tori smiled. She pulled down the pillow case and touched a yellow spot on the pillow. "It's one of the only things she took with her during the Venjix. I recognise the stain."

"I never understood why pillows turned yellow," Dustin chuckled slightly. He walked over to the bed and stood before Tori. He touched the pillow, "You can take that home with you."

Tori looked up at him, "What?"

"Kaylee's pillow," he said. "I've got everything else that belonged to her. Take the pillow. It'll smell like her for a while. Maybe you'll see her again in your dreams."

Tori started to tear as she hugged the pillow, "Thanks," she whispered.

Dustin turned to the clock on Kaylee's night table. He swallowed hard before turning back to Tori, "It's time."

Tori wiped her eyes and placed the pillow back on the bed. She would return to collect it after the funeral, when she went home.

"Are the kids ready?" she asked Dustin. He shrugged his shoulders.

"They better be. Ready or not, we're going."

Dustin headed for the door, anxious to leave his and Kaylee's bedroom. There were too many memories.

Tori stayed back for a moment and took another painful look around the room. Thankfully she did, because on the dresser Dustin had left his speech for the funeral. He knew it off by heart, but when the time came to address Kaylee, he would be so caught up in his emotions, he might not remember what it was he wanted to say. She tucked the paper into her pocket and followed her sister's husband.

Christian and Engel had done a good job at getting the younger kids ready. They were all waiting by the door for their parents and grandparents when Dustin and Tori came downstairs. Samantha and Hayden weren't far behind either. Outside, everyone else was waiting in their cars. Everyone in the Ranger family decided to meet up outside Dustin and Kaylee's home and drive to the funeral together. It was the best way of arriving because no one wanted to be alone.

As Blake and Shane led everyone outside (and made sure all the kids were present and accounted for), they each grabbed a box full of picture books. They were in charge of bringing Kaylee's books to the funeral and handing them back to their respectful owners before everyone went home. Now was finally the time to see what Kaylee had worked on for seven long years.

-Kaylee-

Not one member of Kaylee's family could focus on the funeral as they sat in their seats, wishing and praying that they could go back in time. Some wished they could go back to the last time they had seen Kaylee and undo or change some of the things they had done. Many wished they could go back to before she got sick and change the outcome, or take her place. Only a select few stood out in their thoughts, as they wished that they could be with Kaylee in this very moment, either in the afterlife, or here on Earth.

Dustin was one of those few as he ignored everything around him. The people in the crowd were silent out of respect, but every so often Dustin would hear a whispered or a murmur and it would make his blood boil. Kaylee had done everything for these people. She worked hard, not just for her family, but for every human being still living and breathing on this planet. The least they could do was sit in silence and pay their respects.

Suddenly, Dustin heard his name being called. With a heavy heart he stood up and reached into his pocket. For a split second he felt of wave of panic as he realised his pocket was empty. He remembered putting his speech down on his and Kaylee's dresser, but never taking it with him when he left.

The panic wasn't long lived though when he felt Tori patting his shoulder. He turned to her and sighed in relief when he saw she was holding out the paper with his speech written on it. He took it from her gently and before leaving, he kissed on her the cheek.

"Are you sure you want me to do this?" he asked her. "She was your sister. You've known her the longest."

"She gave her life to you," Tori whispered back. "You're the best man for the job."

"Actually, I was the groom," Dustin chuckled, though even he didn't think it was very funny. He just needed to say something that wasn't so depressing. Finally, he turned to the platform and, nervously, he stepped out of the crowd.

*He made his way up to the podium hesitantly. He hadn't ever really been comfortable in front of crowds, but now was one time his chronic fear of public speaking was far from the first thing on his mind.

He wasn't a huge person by any count, but the coffin on the stage looked tiny to him. It just didn't seem right somehow that this was all that was left of her. She had been a legend on the planet. She had led it to victory so many times, and she had defended it her entire life, and yet looking down now, so little was left that it just seemed wrong. He knew she wasn't a big woman, he had dwarfed her himself, but it still didn't seem right to look on the coffin.

He turned to the congregation, feeling his heart in turmoil. There were literally thousands of people waiting on his eulogy. The citizens who knew of her part in saving them, a few converted souls, and more than a few former Rangers were all sitting waiting for what he had to say. He didn't really know himself what he wanted to say, all he knew was that he was expected to speak on her behalf.

"You all know why you're here." He began solemnly as he gripped the sides of the podium tightly. His heart tore in several directions. Part of him wanted to tear strips off the people he was addressing for not respecting her properly while she was here. Part of him was furious that she had been taken down despite all she had done for the planet so easily. Another part was frustrated he could do nothing to save her, and another part was devastated to know he would never see her again. "She was never the typical hero." He continued. "Indeed, there were times I'm sure no one would ever have picked her as the one that would lead the world to victory and ensure the forces of evil never claimed it. She was childish, she was eccentric, and she was, most of all, full of life." He felt his tears beginning as he said this last part, and wiped his eyes, despite a little laugh. Even though he was facing this situation, he could never think of her with sadness. She was such a light, such an inspiring person that he could never think of her with sadness.

"I don't know what the future will bring, and I can in no way fill the void left by her absence." He told the congregation. "However, I can say that her life has demonstrated that for as long as there is evil, and as long as there is suffering, there will always be heroes." He turned to the coffin and leant down, kissing it softly.

"Goodbye." He muttered. "You didn't just show me what it means to be a Ranger, or a hero. You showed me what it means to be a person. Right now, I swear to you, I will carry that lesson to our family for as long as I live."*

Silence filled the room as he stepped down and walked back to his seat, beside his son and two daughters. He saw the tears in their eyes and quickly wrapped his arms around all three of them.

When the time came to lower Kaylee's coffin into the ground, Christian bolted up from his seat.

"NO!" he shouted as he ran to his mother's coffin and jumped on top of it. They weren't going to lower it while he was on it, and that meant that they couldn't separate him from the mother who took him in without question and loved him like he was her own son.

Dustin was too shaking up by the whole affair to deal with his son. In fact, he was touched that Christian felt so strongly about Kaylee and was willing to fight with everything he had before he would lose her. He knew, though, that Christian needed to let go of Kaylee so they could all do the same.

Hayden and Samantha both pulled away from their father and ran to their mother. They joined Christian and for a moment, they each hugged the coffin. Finally, they pulled their little brother off. He screamed loudly for his mother, breaking the hearts of thousands.

Hayden grabbed him by the arms and held him tightly. She looked him in the eyes, "Chris, we need to do this," she said. She quickly glanced at Samantha who nodded encouragingly. Only a few moments ago, Hayden had believed the same thing Christian did, that she couldn't let them take her mother away from her, but she knew, deep down, that this was what needed to be done.

Christian tried to pull away from his sister, "They can't do it," he sobbed. He wiped his nose on his sleeve, "They can't take her away."

"They're not," Samantha whispered. "They're burying her body, that's it. She's still here with us."

Samantha motioned for Hayden to pull Christian away. She looked back at her little brother and sister, and then turned to her mother's coffin.

"Put her down," she whispered, "Before anyone else decides to object."

Hayden wrapped her arms tightly around Christian as they watched their mother descend into the ground. Then, just like that, she was gone. There was one final prayer as the dirt was tossed back into the hole, on top of the coffin. Before any of the Brooks kids knew it, they were standing alone, with only their father and Aunt in the crowd and Kaylee's body now buried deep into the ground.

Christian felt his sister letting him go and he quickly bolted to the spot where his mother was buried. He dropped to his hands and knees and screamed loudly. Dustin quickly ran over to his son, hoping to comfort him in this terrible time.

Samantha and Hayden approached their Aunt with sad smiles. Tori opened her arms to both of them and offered them a hug.

"It'll get easier," she assured her nieces. "I promise."

As Tori let go, she heard the familiar rumble of thunder. She looked up at the sky and noticed it was getting dark. She pointed to the building, not far away, where the wake would be held.

"Go inside," she said, "before it rains."

From inside the building, Adeline ran out, rushing over to her mother.

"Mommy! Jeffery keeps pulling on my hair!" she screamed as she grabbed her mother's hand and started pulling her, "Tell him to stop."

Hayden smiled at her daughter as she scooped her up, "Why don't you just stay away from him, then? He'll learn to leave you alone soon enough."

"Why couldn't you have given me a sister instead?" Adeline pouted. "Then we wouldn't have this problem."

"Oh, sister's fight," Hayden chuckled. She turned to Samantha and smiled, "You're lucky you only have a brother and not a little sister. We little sisters are very annoying. Grandma annoyed her older sister, I annoy mine… do you see where I'm going with this?"

Adeline groaned loudly, "We're all screwed, aren't we?"

"Blessed," Hayden answered as she, Samantha and Adeline disappeared inside the building. Tori had watched them leave before turning to Dustin and Christian. She decided to leave them be for the moment. A little rain never killed anyone.

Tori returned to her seat and sat down. She grabbed her purse and pulled out the photo album she had given to Kaylee seven years ago. Blake had given it to her on the way to the funeral, and Tori had kept it on her person the entire time. Occasionally, during the ceremony, she would reach into her bag and touch it. It had been what had helped her get through this painful time.

For the first time in seven years, Tori opened her picture book. With a smile, she gently traced the picture on the first page with her fingers and read the caption Tori had left.

"_The first time you held me. You've never let me go."_

Tori flipped through the pages, taking the time to read everything Kaylee had left for her. Most were funny or witty; some made Tori tear, while others were simple narration of what Kaylee remembered feeling at the time the picture was taken.

Tori was sad as the pages narrowed down, but when she reached the last page she felt her heart break in two. Instead of adding a picture, Kaylee had written down a small letter to her sister.

"_If you're reading this Tor, then I'm dead. Surprise!_

"_Okay, so that's not the best surprise. Actually, knowing you, you've probably destroyed something very expensive by now, and I'm pretty sure you've cursed like a sailor in front of all three of your kids and Angela may have even learned a few new words from you. Way to go, you're an excellent role model. If you keep this up, the poor kid will be kicked out of school for having a potty mouth._

"_I'm just kidding. You probably knew that though. Wow, did I always joke around like this when situations got all weird and dark? I'm only realising now how annoying that must have been. Or how annoying I was. I guess now would be a good time to say thank you for putting up with me._

"_Look, I know they say this in, like, every book and movie, but please don't be sad about my death. We all knew it was coming and I learned to accept it. This was going to happen at some point, and I couldn't live with my afterlife self if I knew I was keeping you guys from moving on. You all mean so much to me and I want you guys to be happy. Make sure everyone stays happy for me, okay?_

"_Okay, now I'm really going to make you cry. You've been the best sister in the world to me. I can honestly say that. No one was as lucky as I was. I look at Hayden and Samantha and I still think about how unlucky they are because they don't have a sister like you. Thankfully, you're their Aunt, so all is not lost. But you're my sister, okay? Don't forget that._

"_Please, take care of the girls and Christian for me. It's a lot to ask but I'm hoping you'll do it anyways. Those kids mean the world to me, they always have, and I want them to have someone who'll step up to the plate when I'm gone. I know Dustin will do an amazing job with them, even if 2/3 are already raising families of their own, but he'll need a little help. Oh, and, whenever he does get around to reading his message from me, please be patient with him. If you think this is bad and a major tear-jerker, then I don't suggest you read over his shoulder. He'll need someone with him, and you're the only person I trust. By the way, I'll bet you anything it'll take him at least a year to get around to it._

"_I love you Tori, always have, always will."_

Tori smiled as she read over the message once, twice, three times, before seeing little water droplets falling onto the page. Not wanting to ruin her book, she closed it and placed it back in her bag. She looked up to the sky.

"Love you too, Kayl-Whale."

The Water Sensei gazed back over to Dustin and Christian as the father and son slowly got their feet and started making their way over. Christian suddenly started sprinting over to Tori. He jumped into her arms and started sobbing. Tori wrapped her arms around him, whispering words of comfort.

As Dustin walked over, she motioned to the building, "Everyone's inside," she said.

Dustin nodded, "I'm ready when you are."

-Kaylee-

She poked the little pool of water with her finger, watching as the image on the surface rippled with the waves. She turned to her parents.

"So, this is what you guys do all day?" she asked. Her mother nodded.

"Most days we sit here and just enjoy watching life," she said. "Other days we do other stuff. We've trained a little bit and explored the land. After so many years, there's still so many things were still discovering."

"The spirit world is like that," her father continued. "You're never bored with a world that changes so much. From the people we welcome, to the tasks we're given. It's only a matter of time before you settle in, Kayl Whale."

Kaylee puffed her cheeks and glared at her father, "You should know, I'm not a whale."

"It's a cute nickname," her mother smiled as she gently tucked a strand of Kaylee's hair behind her daughter's ear.

"What's cute about the whales?" Kaylee asked. "They're big, they're fat, and they make these weird long, low moans. It's like every time they open their mouths, a little part of them is dying."

Suddenly, the Angel gasped, "Oh no! You don't think I'm a whale, do you? I'm not big and fat and moany-death, am I?"

"Of course not," her father laughed, shaking his head. "You're beautiful."

"Good," Kaylee smiled. She looked back at the water, which had finally settled. Her view was focused on her family: her husband, kids and grandkids and her sister. She smiled as she watched them all.

Her parents kissed her cheek before leaving her on her own for a moment. She had only just arrived, and they knew she needed time to come to terms with what had happened. After all, now they had an eternity with her. Letting her spend a few days watching her family from above was only a very small fraction of the time they would have together.

As Kaylee watched her family on Earth, her smile continued to grow. She would gently whisper words of comfort when she saw them crying over her death, and she would laugh with them when something funny happened. Every so often she would think strongly about one member in particular, and every time she did, Kaylee noticed they would stop what they were doing and look up at her for a moment, as if they knew she was still there with them.

When the pool of water stopped on Dustin's image, Kaylee leaned over and kissed the surface of the water. As she pulled away, she whispered softly, "I love you."

She watched as Dustin reacted to this. She knew he had felt something brush against his lips because she saw him gently touching his lips with his fingers. And she knew he had heard her, because he had briefly looked around the room with a glimmer of hope in his eyes that Kaylee was still there with him. That she would walk through the doors and announce her arrival. She would run in and laugh like this was all some funny joke.

Well, Kaylee was still with him, and everyone else, but she wasn't going to run into the room. But soon enough, her family would see her again. Tori would be rolling her eyes at her because Kaylee was saying something silly, and Dustin would be taking her into his arms and never letting her go.

Even her kids would join her someday soon. Because everyone died. At some point, their life was going to stop, Hayden, Adeline and Jeffery included.

The end of life is inevitable. No one can choose when it happens. The only thing we can do is live in the moment and make sure we leave behind our own legacy.

The End

-Kaylee-

_Author's Note: Okay, so if this Series were tangible, and not just words on a computer screen, this would be where someone comes and pulls me away from the series before I suffocate it to death. I can't believe I'm actually letting it end._

_Again, I just wanted to thank everyone who's supported me. Without you guys, we wouldn't be where we are today: the end. I never thought Kaylee would make it this far, but she has. It sucks that it has to end. I've loved writing this series and parting from it, and all the characters I've created and loved isn't an easy thing to do._

_With any luck, I won't be gone for long. Now that I don't need to focus on Kaylee I can free up my mind to start something else._

_Goodbye everyone. Hopefully I'll see you all next time around!_


End file.
